Description

As technology evolves we are ever more reliant on the use of handheld and mobile devices, yet what do we know about their impact on learning? While there is a lot of interest in mobile technology, many schools still aren’t sure how to best use it for learning and teaching.

Learning with Handhelds and Mobiles explores this landscape and offers examples of how these technologies have been used for learning, how the problems that have arisen are being addressed, and offers ideas for the future. This invaluable book gives a voice to teachers and educators using mobiles and technology-enhanced learning in and out of schools, for regular school work and for innovative projects through exciting partnerships like Apps for Good.

Learning with Handhelds and Mobiles shows the changes that are taking place within schools as a direct result of these emerging technologies, and contains case studies with accounts of best practice in a variety of settings including primary, secondary, and special schools, and learning beyond their boundaries. The book also explores themes of pedagogy, communication and affordances, collaborative learning, individual creativity and expression, self-directed and informal learning and outdoor education.

The learning potential of handheld and mobile devices has excited teachers and educators, but until now there has been no structured, systematic overview available along with reflections on how this technology is changing educational practice. This book brings these together to provide a clearer picture of what is currently a fragmented area, and offers expert views of how we can understand these, and where it may take us next.

Reviews

"I would highly recommend this book to those with responsibility for e-learning or more generally for teaching and learning across their school. If you are already convinced of the principle, however, and are looking for concrete examples to persuade others, I would argue that there is not enough specific detail of how the changes have been effected in the sample of schools covered." -Janet Mitchell, Science School Review

"Written in an accessible, reportage style, the book will not only make lives easier, and learning more effective but it will also undoubtedly save schools a significant amount of money."– Technology Innovation magazine

"Learning with Mobile and Handheld Technologies is a wide-ranging, well-researched and thought-provoking book. It is worth buying just for its variety of case studies, including perspectives from Norway or Chile, and the range of apps it covers. I would recommend this book to those institutions looking to make the best use of tablets that they have already bought but it is an even better option for those who are on the brink of making big purchasing decisions" - Sal McKeown, Special World

"This is a handbook that can be used as a classroom tool, a working document that will be well-thumbed and often returned to as the ideas and studies presented are such that they will undoubtedly stand several years of being relevant and useful in today's and tomorrow's classrooms. […] This books is a must-have on any aspiring teaching student's reading list and on the bookshelf of every staffroom in the country"- Ceri Williams, Torfaen LEA

"[This book] will be valuable for several years, and I can see this becoming the definitive handbook for students and teachers seeking insights into the history, impact and usage of mobile technologies. A perfect balance between technology and pedagogy, a readable journalistic style, and a thorough grasp of the area being covered make this an essential purchase for every school and teacher training establishment" - Tony Parkin, Roehampton University

About the Authors

John Galloway is an adviser, writer and consultant, specialising in ICT for SEN and Inclusion. He has worked with several local authorities and just about every sort of school. He has been involved in several projects that have used handheld devices with learners, and provides training for teachers and other staff at every level from beginner to post-graduate. He is the author of four Fulton titles.

Merlin John is a journalist who has written extensively about this field. Previously editor of The Times Educational Supplement’s Online magazine, he now manages his own website, www.agent4change.net, a source of information for using technology for learning.

Maureen McTaggart previously worked for TSL Education Limited, publisher of The Times Educational Supplement and the Times Higher Education Supplement. She is now a freelance writer, mainly in the field of ICT in education, and part-time in the publishing and communications departments at the School of Advanced Study, University of London.